SCHOOLS AND COUNTY TRY TO DEFEND INCREASES

FAIRFAX SCHOOLS, COUNTY CONFIRM PAST TAX INCREASES AS ALLEGED BY TAXPAYERS ALLIANCE
SCHOOLS AND COUNTY TRY TO DEFEND INCREASES

Last Monday, February 5, both the Fairfax County school superintendent,
Dr. Daniel A. Domenech, and county chairman, Katherine K. Hanley,
released statements confirming Fairfax County Taxpayer Alliance
statements made in a resolution opposing
the proposed sales tax increase for Northern Virginia. Dr. Domenech
released a 27-page memo, "Response to Taxpayers Alliance Resolution."
Chairman Hanley released a copy of a September 15, 1997, letter from
her to Arthur G. Purves, president of the Taxpayers Alliance. The bulk
of Dr. Domenech's memo, which was prepared for the schools' Richmond
lobbyist, was a September 3, 1997, letter from former school board
chairman, Kris Amundson, to Mr. Purves.

Both 1997 letters are posted on the Taxpayer Alliance website, www.fcta.org/INITIATIVES/letters/open.htm.
Neither Domenech nor Hanley challenged the Alliance statement that
the county is currently receiving, each year, $1.1 billion more than is
required to cover population, school enrollment, and inflation growth
since 1975. Unlike the schools, Chairman Hanley has continued her
tactic of refusing to provide funding figures about program growth. The
schools also did not challenge the statement that a 100 percent
increase in inflation-adjusted spending per student failed to produce a
significant increase in standardized test scores. Domenech said his
budget growth is average for Virginia schools."Most Fairfax County spending increases are unjustified or unexplained," Mr.
Purves stated. For example, the schools say that the state mandates
elementary school guidance counselors. That is no longer true. The
Alliance charges that phonics-based reading instruction would reduce
the demand for Special Education, a point that Dr. Domenech ignored.
Lower student -teacher ratios, the seven-period day, and new programs
have failed to raise achievement. Hanley emphasizes county childcare
services. However despite massive growth, the county childcare program
has not solved the county's childcare crisis.